IceHogs News

Week 24 Recap
The IceHogs outlasted the Peoria Rivermen 4-3 in a back-and-forth contest on Saturday night in front of a soldout crowd at the MetroCentre to pickup their only win in Week 24. The sellout is the sixth of the season for the IceHogs. The Hogs have four games on the slate for Week 25, including three at the Big Orange Box.

Bacon Bits:
-Rockford had their sixth sellout of the season on Saturday night

-Igor Makarov scored his third game-winning goal of the season on Saturday night, matching Evan Brophey and Peter LeBlanc for the team lead

-All three of Makarov’s game-winning tallies have come in one goal games

-Wade Brookbank played in his 700th career pro game on Saturday

-Garnet Exelby appeared in his 600th career pro game on Friday

-Kyle Hagel became the first IceHogs skater in the franchise’s AHL era to eclipse 200 penalty minutes in a single season

-Hagel broke an 18-game scoreless streak, dating back to Feb. 5, on Saturday with an assist and then followed that up with a goal on Sunday in Grand Rapids

-Jassen Cullimore scored his first two goals of the season and added an assist in Rockford’s 5-3 loss in Grand Rapids on Sunday

-Cullimore is the ninth different IceHogs skater to record multiple goals in a game during 2010-11 and seventh with a three-point night

-The IceHogs loss in Grand Rapids on Sunday ended the team’s season best five-game road point streak (3-0-1-1) dating back to March 4

-After picking up points in 11-straight games against Grand Rapids, Rockford has dropped back-to-back contests to the Griffins in regulation

-Rob Klinkhammer matched a career-high with his 33 point of the season on Sunday, registering an assist

-Klinkhammer now has a career best 21 assists on the campaign

Hot Hog: Week 24
Brian Connelly Defenseman

Defenseman Brian Connelly finished Week 24 with three points and a plus/minus rating of +3 in three games for the IceHogs. On Saturday, the Bloomington, Minn. native recorded his team-leading 11th multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist in Rockford’s 4-3 win against Peoria. The 24 year-old chipped in an assist in Rockford’s 5-3 loss at Grand Rapids on Sunday. Connelly leads the club with 38 assists and ranks second with 45 points.

Upcoming Games:
Wednesday, March 23 vs. San Antonio: The puck drops at 6:35 p.m. It’s the last weekday game at the Rockford MetroCentre in 2010-11 as the IceHogs host San Antonio. The game marks the fifth of six matchups between the two clubs on the season. Wednesday is a Taco Bell Dollar Day as fans can take advantage of $1 Vienna Beef hot dogs, Bud Select drafts, Pepsi products and companion tickets.

Friday, March 25 vs. Hamilton: Game starts at 7:05 p.m. The IceHogs welcome the Hamilton Bulldogs to the MetroCentre for the first and only time on the campaign. Rockford escaped with a 2-1 shootout win on March 9 in Hamilton in their only other meeting of the season. The first 2,500 fans into the building will get an IceHogs gym bag compliments of Kanga Roof, Members Alliance and Comcast.

Saturday, March 26 vs. Milwaukee: The puck gets on the ice at 7:05 p.m. The IceHogs clash with their West Division rival Milwaukee Admirals at the MetroCentre. The contest is the 10th and final meeting between the two teams. The first 2,500 fans past the gate with get an IceHogs dry erase board courtesy of Rock Valley College, FOX 39 and BOB FM.

Sunday, March 27 at Chicago: The puck gets on the ice at 3 p.m. The IceHogs travel down I-90 to take on the Chicago Wolves at the Allstate Arena. The game is the ninth of ten meetings between Rockford and Chicago in 2010-11. The Hogs show a record of 3-5-0-0 against the Wolves on the campaign.